Can I use black plastic electrical tape?

jaylach · Jun 8, 2022

Especially since this would be on the outside of my tank I can't see an issue but want to make sure.

To have my water level low enough for the built in filtration to work on my 20 gallon cube it leaves a gap between the top of the water and the black framework at the top of the tank and that REALLY bugs me. I want to use black plastic electrical tape to mask out this gap as the tape and the tank's black framework would blend well. I trust that I'm correct that using such tape on the outside of the tank would cause no issues but want to be sure. Am I correct?

I'm also considering using aquatic silicone to block off the bottom half of the built in filtration's overflow vents which would cut down the gap quite a bit.

davros · Jun 8, 2022

I think you can do what you want on your side of the glass as long as you leave the fish's side alone

jaylach · Jun 8, 2022

OK, thanks.

I was just mildly concerned as the outside of a tank is not always isolated from the inside. For instance using ammonia based glass cleaners on the outside can actually leach along the glass and affect the inside. I don't know if that is actually true but I have seen references that it is.

WhistlingBadger · Jun 8, 2022

Yeah, that should be fine. Just try to keep it dry and make sure none of the adhesive comes into contact with tank water. I use black gorilla tape around the base of my tanks to keep light off the substrate.

By the way, If glass cleaner gets into a tank, it's because someone accidentally sprayed some into the top of the tank. (It can happen surprisingly easily) It won't leach through the glass or the silicone.

Lajos_Detari · Jun 8, 2022

Glass is a very good material that is non porous.
So, no liquid can pass through it.
You can stick anything on the outside.

davros · Jun 8, 2022

I think it is more likely that things/chemicals outgas and the vapours themselves can more easily reach the fish's domain. Not worried about electrical tape or it's adhesive in the way you a planning to use it.

itiwhetu · Jun 8, 2022

Lajos_Detari said:
Glass is a very good material that is non porous.
So, no liquid can pass through it.
You can stick anything on the outside.

You would hope so, if it were porous your tank water would end up on the floor.

itiwhetu · Jun 8, 2022

I usually get some blackboard paint and paint a strip around the top of the tank, the nice thing about Blackboard paint is that it has a mat finish.

jaylach · Jun 22, 2022

Finally got around to applying some tape.

To me it looks MUCH better as I totally hate a gap of air between the top of the water and the top frame. Personally I think that I did a pretty good job of laying the tape straight and even.

The marble look in the first image isn't really there, just light reflection. Same with the orange lines at the upper part of the second image.

I think it looks a LOT better with the tape. Any opinions?

Before the tape:

After the tape:

WhistlingBadger · Jun 22, 2022

Yep, looks nice. Well done.

jaylach · Jun 22, 2022

WhistlingBadger said:
Yep, looks nice. Well done.

Thanks!

This is not a thing I ran into many years ago when using strictly under gravel filtration as you could fill the tank to the top. I just can't do that and have the built in filtration actually doing anything. Mayhaps it is just a bad design on my cube tank but you just can't fill it all the way and have the built in filtration do anything.

Actually the tape mask looks straighter looking at the tank than it appears in the lower image above. I do a bit of photography and can vouch that optics can be an odd critter.

Off topic but we all like water. Here is a link to some of my beach shots when I lived in Florida.

Scenic

Actually this is probably one of my favorite shots...

Slaphppy7 · Jun 22, 2022

What kind of built-in filtration prevents filling the tank fully?

jaylach · Jun 22, 2022

Slaphppy7 said:
What kind of built-in filtration prevents filling the tank fully?

It is a 20 gallon cube tank with a three stage back section that holds the built in filtration. The fitst section is sponge. The second is carbon and ceramics but I'm not using the carbon. The third section is the pump. The sponge section is supposed to fill first spilling over to the carbon/ceramic section which spills over to the pump. The problem is that there is an overflow vent above the sponge section that is too low. If I fill the tank fully all the water flow bypasses the filtration due to this overflow vent being too low.

I actually think this can be solved by filling the lower half of the overflow vent with aquatic silicone. The vent would still be viable but would raise the water level before the vent came into play. For now the tape works for appearance.

Right now my main concerns are my new Stardust pleco and trying to find what I want as my feature fish which just don't seem available anywhere.... Laetacara Dorsigera or common name of South American Dwarf Redbreast Cichlid. It is like they don't even exist. :dunno:

Slaphppy7 · Jun 22, 2022

jaylach said:
It is a 20 gallon cube tank with a three stage back section that holds the built in filtration. The fitst section is sponge. The second is carbon and ceramics but I'm not using the carbon. The third section is the pump. The sponge section is supposed to fill first spilling over to the carbon/ceramic section which spills over to the pump. The problem is that there is an overflow vent above the sponge section that is too low. If I fill the tank fully all the water flow bypasses the filtration due to this overflow vent being too low.

I actually think this can be solved by filling the lower half of the overflow vent with aquatic silicone. The vent would still be viable but would raise the water level before the vent came into play. For now the tape works for appearance.

Right now my main concerns are my new Stardust pleco and trying to find what I want as my feature fish which just don't seem available anywhere.... Laetacara Dorsigera or common name of South American Dwarf Redbreast Cichlid. It is like they don't even exist.

Ah, so this is an internal filter....

jaylach · Jun 22, 2022

Slaphppy7 said:
Ah, so this is an internal filter....

Yes, I guess it is internal filter but there is a plate between the visible tank area and the filtration area. I would LOVE to cut out the separation plate and make the whole thing the tank and just go with the under gravel filtration I also have going. I'm just afraid to do that as it could be structural and removing could be like taking out a load bearing wall in a house... Over time the results are not likely to be good.

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Can I use black plastic electrical tape?

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